Asters can be planted in spring or autumn, but if you want to get early and abundant flowering, it is better to plant them before winter. But how to do it correctly?
Seed preparation
You can buy aster seeds or collect them yourself from last year's flowers.
If you are collecting seeds, you need to do it in dry and sunny weather when they are fully ripe.
Aster seeds are stored in sacs that form in place of petals. You need to carefully separate the sacs from the flower stalks and dry them in the shade.
Then you need to shake the bags and separate the seeds from the debris.
Aster seeds can be stored in paper bags or glass jars in a dry, dark place until planting.
Selecting a location and soil
Asters love sunny and draft-free places.
They do not tolerate stagnation, so the soil must be loose, fertile and well-drained.
You can improve the quality of the soil by adding humus, compost, peat or sand to it.
It is not recommended to plant asters in the same place where other aster flowers grew before, to avoid infestation by pests and diseases.
Planting asters
Planting of asters for the winter is done in late September - early October, when the soil is still warm.
You can plant asters in open ground or in pots, which you can then put in a warm place.
For planting in open ground, you need to make small holes at a distance of 20-30 cm from each other and sprinkle them with wood ash to prevent the seeds from rotting.
Then you need to put 2-3 aster seeds in each hole and lightly press them to the soil. Sprinkle a thin layer of soil on top and lightly tamp.
After planting, you need to water the seedlings with warm water and cover them with dry leaves, straw or sawdust to protect them from frost.
To plant in pots, you need to choose fairly spacious containers with holes, fill them with a mixture of peat, sand and humus and plant the aster seeds in the same way as in open ground.
After planting, you need to water the pots and place them in a warm and bright place, for example, on a windowsill or in a greenhouse.
Caring for asters
Caring for asters in winter does not require much effort. The main thing is to avoid over-wetting the soil and not remove the cover from the open ground plantings until spring.
If the winter is not very snowy, you can lightly water the plantings once a month with warm water. If the winter is snowy and frosty, you can not water the plantings at all.
In pots, asters need to be watered regularly but moderately so that the soil is moist but not too wet.
You also need to provide the asters with sufficient lighting and ventilation so that they do not stretch out and become sick.
At the end of winter or beginning of spring, you can feed asters with a weak solution of mineral fertilizers to stimulate their growth and flowering.
Asters blooming
If you planted and cared for asters correctly before winter, then next year you will get early and abundant flowering.
Asters will begin to sprout in April-May and bloom in June-July.
Asters can continue to bloom until frost if you regularly remove faded flowers and feed the plants.
Asters can bloom in different colors, depending on the variety and growing conditions.
You can enjoy the beauty of asters in the garden or cut them for bouquets.
Asters retain their freshness and aroma well in a vase for up to two weeks if you change the water every day and add sugar or aspirin to it.
